Apparatus for producing smoke



Feb. 13, 1945. c. 1.... HERBLINE APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SMOKE Filed April 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

Feb. 13, 1945- c. L. HERBLJNE APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SMOKE Filed April 2, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 13, 1945 APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SMOKE Clestin Lon Herbline, Paris, France; vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application April 2, 1941, Serial No. 386,560 In France October 12, 1939 9 Claims.

This invention relates to smoke producing.

means especially adapted to produce artificial clouds of smoke, the primary object of the invention being to provide improvements in such means whereby continuous production of smoke is assured during the time desired by the operator.

Another object of the invention is to improve devices of this character so as to enable them to produce smoke having predetermined coloration which can be varied by the operator at will during the operation of the devices.

These and other objects of theinvention are attained through features of construction and relation of parts apparent from the following description and the appended drawings, wherein embodiments of the invention are set for illustration.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an axial vertical section through a device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figures 3 and 4 are vertical sections of additional devices according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of an aircraft provided with one of the devices.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of a submarine boat provided with one of the devices.

Figure 8 is a detailed view of the device as applied in Figure 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a vessel l constituting a magazine closed at its upper part by a removable cover l5 and terminating at its lower part in a master nozzle IS.

The interior I! of the vessel l is divided into upper and lower chambers I1 and I1 by a gate or trap door l8 pivotally secured at I9 to the vessel I, and a return spring 20 operates to raise the trap door toward closed position.

A tube 2| with a removable cover 22 on its upper end is located alongside of the vessel l and terminates at its lower end in an auxiliary nozzle 23 which discharges axially within the master nozzle 15.

The operation of this device is as follows:

A first roll 5 of combustible material, for example, old moving picture film, is dropped into the vessel i after removal of the cover I5, so as to pass the trap door and come to rest on the bottom of the vessel I, whereafter the roll is set on fire in some convenient manner. The combustion of the roll causes smoke to pass through the master nozzle l6 and emerge therefrom in a stream f When the combustion of the roll 5 has gone suificiently far, and a second roll 5 is introduced into the chamber [1 of the vessel and falls on the trap N3, the trap swings downwardly along the path I about its pintle [9, during which action it compresses its spring 20, until the roll 5 falls from the charging chamber I1 into the combustion chamber I1 wherein the roll 5 catches fire and thereby produces smoke which' escapes through the master nozzle I6.

During the combustion of the second roll 5 a third r011 may be introduced into the charging chamber H and this procedure may be repeated indefinitely, whereby a continuous stream 1 of smoke from the master nozzle 16 can be obtained. During the operation, the closing of the trap door [8 shuts off the charging chamher H from the combustion chamber I1 so that backing up of the smoke into the charging chamber I1 and into the upper opening of the vessel i is prevented.

During the combustion of the rolls 5 5 etc., and the ejection of their white smoke, balls 25 of materials producing various colors may advantageously be introduced into the tube 2| after removing the cover 22, o as to fall into the auxiliary nozzle 23 and produce colored smoke which discharges into the main nozzle I6 and mixes with the other smoke therein so as to color it.

A device according to thepresent invention ofiers the following principal advantages:

(a) Continuous production of artificial smoke;

(b) Ease of operation and adaptability to continue-the production of either plain or colored smoke as long as the operator deposits in the device the necessary combustible rolls and/or balls at the required time intervals.

Various modifications may be made in the above described devices. For example, as shown in Figure 3, a plurality of vessels i and I mounted side by side may be provided, each being formed in the same manner shown in Figures 1 and 2', and includes covers I5 and I5, master nozzles I6 and I6 and trap doors I8 and I8,

and, I9 and [9 r 'balls 25 of materials producing colored smoke, is

arranged in the middle of the interiors of the vessels l and I etc. The unit shown in Figure 3 works like the device shown in Figures 1 and 2 and projects a stream of artificial smoke,

smoke, are axially disposed. This arrangement enables the production of a smoke stream or smoke cloud made up of component smoke streams of different colorations. It {is feasible, for instance, to form a stream composed of three jets, such as blue, white, and red, arranged close:

together, or any desired variation orfishade of these colors, to conform to, for instance, a pre: ferred signal code.

The aircraft mounted device of Figures 5 and 6 comprises the vessel l and the master nozzle l6, as in Figures ,1 and 2,, the said nozzle producing the artificial smokestream f The device is so mounted that it can slide as a whole in-the body of the aircraft along the path i so that it is possible to retract the device into the body or to project it from the body when being used for producingsmoke.

,The submarine mounted device of Figures '7 and 8. is provided with a vessel. I which receives the roll 5 of combustible material in its lower part and which is provided with a side branch 26 having a closing, trap I 8 which retains the following roll 5 whereby it is possible to obtain a continuous ejection of smokeas already described in connection with the embodiment of Figure -1. The roll 5 burns and produces a smoke stream emitted by the nozzle 16. During thistime the roll 5 can be introduced into the branch 26' so that it can take the place of theroll 5 at the end of the latters combustion.

The tube 2! for the production of colored smoke terminates at itslower end in an upwardly angulated funnel 21 which'receives the balls 25 of materials for producing colored smoke. The master nozzle [6 and the auxiliary nozzle-Z3, at the. upperend of the tube 2| can be closed. by a;co ver. The device is mounted in the hull. of the submarine, as. shown in Figure 7, so thatit can. slidevertically as a whole in eitherdirection,, whereby it is possible to retract the deviceinto the hull of the submarine when the production of smoke is no longer wanted.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for producing smoke screens, comprising a housing provided. with an internal self-closing gate dividing the interior of the housing into an upper. smoke producing material magazine and a lower combustion chamber, the

gate beingarranged to yield downwardly underthe weight of a charge of combustible material introduced into said magazine and pass the same into the combustion chamber and then return to closed position, and a discharge nozzle leading from said combustion chamber,

2. An apparatus for producingsmoke screens;-

cbmprising a housing provided with an internal shiftable gate normally dividing the interior of' the housing into a smoke producing material magazine and a combustion chamber, a smoke discharge nozzle communicating with said combustion chamber, an auxiliary housing for re ceiving other smoke producing material assodischarge nozzle communicating with the auxiliary housing.

3. An apparatus for producing smoke screens, comprising a housing provided with an internal shiftable gate normally dividing the interior of the housing into a smoke producing material magazine and a combustion chamber, a smoke discharge nozzle communicating with said combustion chamber, an auxiliary housing for receiving other smoke producing material associated with the first named housing and a smoke discharge nozzle communicating with the auxiliary housing, said last named discharge nozzle being concealed bythe main smoke discharge magazine so as to pass the charge into the combustion chamber, means efiecting return. of the gate to normal closed position after. passage of the charge into the combustion chamber.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein an. auxiliary housing having a combustible material receiving portion and a nozzle is mounted on said housing with the auxiliary nozzle discharging. into the first mentioned nozzle.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein an auxiliary housi'nghaving a combustible material, receiving portion and a nozzle is mounted on said housing with the auxiliary nozzle discharging into the first mentioned nozzle, said first 'mentioned discharge nozzle being located at the lower part of the housing and said magazine being located at the upper part of the housing.

7. Apparatus accordi'ngto claim 4 wherein an auxiliary housing having a combustible material receiving portion and a nozzle is mounted. on said housing with the auxiliary nozzle discharging into the first mentioned nozzle, said first mentioned nozzle being located at the upper. part of the housing and said magazine being located ad-. j'acent to the lower part of. the housing.

8., Apparatus. according to claim 4 wherein. an auxiliary housingh'aving a. combustible material receiving portion and a nozzle is mounted on said housing with the auxiliary nozzle discharging into the first mentioned. nozzle, said first mentioned discharge nozzle beingv located at the.

lower part of the housing. and said magazine being located at theupper part of the housing,

said discharge nozzle'pr'ojecting-laterally from the',.housing.

' SLIAppa'ratus according to claim 4 wherein an auxiliary housing having a combustible material receiving portion and a nozzle is mounted on said housing with the auxiliary nozzle discharging into the first mentioned "nozzle, said first mentioned discharge nozzle being located at the lower part of the housing and said magazine.

being locatedat the upper .part of the housing, said discharge nozzle projecting upwardly from the upper par-t of theflriousing'.

- HER N 

